Internal-combustion turbine-engine.



W. L. WHEELER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE.

APPLIQATION FILED 00T.3, 1911.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A W. L. WHEELER. INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE.

APPLICATION F'ILED 0GT.3, 1911.

1,059,509. 7 Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"ifi iiwawem W. L. WHEELER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION TURBINE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.3, 1911.

1,059,509. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 's. I if 72 E WILLIE L. WHEELER, 0F MONTGQMEEY, MISSGURI.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE-"ENGINE.

osasoa.

Specification of Letters E'atent.

Patent-ed Apr. 22, 121 .3.

Application filed fictober 3, 1911. Serial No. 652,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. \VHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Go-mbustion 'Iurbine-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion turbine en ines, and has for its object to produce an edicient engine of this character in which powder or other explosive may be exploded to produce the force for driving the en ine.

Wit this general object in view and others as herelnafter ap ear, the invention consists in certain'nov'e and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- F igurel, is an end view of a turbine engine'enibodying'my invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the engine. Fig. 3, is a horizontal section on the line II IIII of Fi 5. Fig. 4, is a vertical section on the line of Fig. 3. Fi 5, is a vertical section on the line V--V 0 Fig. 3. Fig. 6, is a horizontal section on the line VIVI of Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8-are diagrammatic views of a pair of cam wheels forming parts of the engine, asthough the circumferential port-ions were straightened out; said figures indicating in dotted lines the relative positions of the parts acted upon by said cam wheels in the order or sequence in which said parts are moved.

In the said drawings, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 indicates what may be termed the cylinder of the engine and 2, one of the ports thereof through which the gas produced by the explosion passes to operate the wheels 2 of the engine, 2 indicating vanes of the said wheels upon which the gas fro-m ports 2 impinges in a well known manner.

The cylinder is provided with a assage 3 through which the gas enters, and lted or otherwise secured upon the cylinder is a water-jacketed receiver 4;, the inner wall 5 of which is enlarged at its lower end at 6', where it communicateswith passage 3, and arran ed in said enlargement 6 is a hollow valve which when closed seats against the bottom of the wall 5, of the receiver as shown clearly in Fig. The valve 7 is provided with a hollow hinge arm 8 and with a partition 9, which extends from one end of the hinge arm nearly across the body of the valve as shown in Fig. 6. The hinge arm is provided with a pivot or trunnion 10 at one side for engagement with a socket 11 in the receiver, and at its opposite side the arm is provided with a tubular trunnion 12 which is journaled in the receiver and extends through a boss 13 thereof and a stuffing box 14 mounted in the end of said boss.

At its 'outer end the tubular trunnion 12 communicates with a stationary supply pipe 15, a acking gland 16 being utilized to establis a water tight joint between said ipe and said tubular trunnion. To con not water from the valve, a small pipe 17 extends through pipe 15 and trunnion 12 and into the hollow valve and communicates with y the latter at the opposite side of its partition from the trunnion 12, this arrangement insuring a proper circulation of water through the valve to prevent the latter from becoming unduly heated.

18 is a crank arm secured on trunnion 12, and pivoted to said arm is a perforated block 18 through which slidingly extends a rod 19, which also extends slidingly through a guide sleeve 20, and is provided at one end with a head 21, and a laterally projecting pin 22. At opposite sides of the block 18, collars 23 and 24: are secured on the rod, and

interposed between said collars'and the block 18", are springs 25 and 26 respectively, said springs tending to hold the valve in -its closed position and to constitute cushions for the opening and closing movements of the valve.

27 is a standard preferably cast with the cylinder and with guide 20, and 28 is a second standard and journaled in said standards is a driven shaft 29 equipped between the standards with a pair of cam wheels 30 and 31, the former having a cam groove 32 provided with a V-shaped cam portion 33., and a cam groove 34 having a V-shaped cam portion 35 which is disposed reversely with respect to portion 33, it being also noted by reference to Figs. 2 and 8 that the apex of the \f-shaped ortion 35 is slightly rearward of the apex o the V-shaped portion 33 with respect to the-direction ofrotation of the driven shaft 29, which is as indicated by the arrow Fig. 2.

v in the diagrammatic Figs. 7 and 8.

cam wheel 30 is also provided with a peripheral lug 40 beveled at its rear end at 41.

The receiver is provided with a tubular arm 42 formed at its inner end with an inclined valve seat 43 for engagement by a hinged valve 44 pivotally connected by a link 45 to a bell crank 46 arranged in a re cess 47 of the wall of said tubular arm, and pivoted to said bell crank and extending slidingl through a boss 48 of the re ceiver, is a slide rod 49, provided at its outer end withka head 50, equipped with an antifriction roller 51, standing normally in the path of rotation of the lug 40, under the pressure of a spring 52 interposed between the said head and the boss-48. Fitting reciprocally in tubular arm 42 is a tubular piston 53 whose passage 54 is normally closed by an internal check valve 55. 56 is a piston rod pivoted to the piston for movement in a horizontal plane and provided with a laterally projecting arm 57; and said piston is pivoted to a lever 58, pivoted near one end to an extension 59 of bracket 28, and near its last-named end the lever is provided with a depending pin 60, engaging the groove of cam wheel 31, the arrangement being such that the rotation of said wheel shall impart reciprocatory movement to the piston in the tubular arm 42.

' Vertically above tubular arm 42, the-receiver is provided with'a hollow offsetting portion 61, which is connected about midway its length by a by-pass 62 to the chamber of the receiver, and by a pipe 63 to the interior of the cylinder 1, and fitting slidingly in said portion 61 and adapted to alternately close and open communication between the said portion and by-pass 62 and pipe 63 is a piston 64, having a stem 65 extending through a stuflE'mg box 66, and con nected pivotally by a link 67 with a rock lever 68, pivoted at 69 to tubular arm 42, and arranged with its free end in the path of outwardmovement oflug 57, of rod 56, and in the path of inward movement of the adjacent end of lever 58, as shown most clearly 1n Fig. 3.

Secured in and closing the upper end of the receiver is a holder 70, closed normally bya hinged valve 71, which valve is preferably hollow as shown (see Fig. 5), for water cooling purposes, the valve corresponding in construction preferably to valve 7 and being adapted to be equipped with means, not shown, for circulating water through it of the same general type as shown and described in connection with valve 7.

The Y The holder is provided with a central tube 72 having inlet opening 73, and arranged in said tube is a gravity valve 74 adapted to yield and open 1n the event an explosion occurs when valve 71 is open. Fitting slidingly and with an air-tight relation on tube 72 is a sleeve valve 75, the same when in normal position closing the openings 73 to prevent powder in the holder from entermg tube 72. To the upper end ofsleeve valve 7 5 is pivoted a slotted arm 76, pivotally connected by rod 77 extending downward through a tube 78, secured to the holder, to a crank arm 79, secured to one of the trunnions of valve 71.

80 is a second crank for said trunnions of valve 71 connected by a link 81 to one arm of'a bell crank lever 82 fulcrumed on an arm 82 depending from boss 48. Said bell crank lever. is also provided at its opposite end with a pin 83 engaging groove 34 of cam 30.

84 is a rod leading from any suitable governor (not shown) to a lever 85, suitably supported above the holder and said arm is provided with a fulcrum pin 86 fitting in the slot of arm 76.

The space between the inner and outerf of powder as 'it fallsthrough passage 3 into 1 the cylinder as hereinafter explained, I pro-,

vide an ignition mechanism consisting of a shelf 89 supported by one or more laterally projecting arms 90, extending crosswise of the cylinder and a pin 91 extending into the cylinder through a porcelain or other insulating tube 92, the wires 93 and 94 forming part of the ignition mechanism circuit, being connected respectively'to the engine and said pin, as shown in Fig. 5, or in any other suitable manner.

Assuming that shaft 29 is rotating 1n the direction indicated by the adjacent arrows, Figs. 2 and 3, and that a charge of powder is resting upon the water-cooled valve 7, it will be seen that pin 60 is in engagement with the apex of portion 39 of the groove of'cam Wheel 31, and that pin 22 is in engagement with the front extremity of cam groove portion 33 of cam wheel 30, and that pin 83 occupies the straight groove portion 37 of cam groove 34 of said wheel. It will also be noticed that when pin 60 is in the position explained, the piston 53 is at the limit of its outward movement and that because of this fact, arm 57 of the piston rod 56 through rock lever 68, is holding piston 64 in such position that communication is uninterrupted between the interior of the cylinder and receiver by way of pipe 63, tubular portion 61 of the rethe shaft is describing a close under the rotates I ceiver and the byass 62, and that pressure from explosions w ich have occurred in the cylinder is in the receiver so that when valve 7 is opened there shall be no inrush of {pressure 1nto the receiver from the cylinder which would interfere with the proper fall of the powder in a compact mass, down upon the shelf 89, as hereinafter explained. It will be further noted that because of the osition of pin 22, the hollow valve 7 is held with a yielding pressure by spring 25.

The following operations in the order named occur through the rotation of shaft 29: Lever 58 is 0 erated its full distance the direction indicated by the adjacent hrrow, Fig. 3, and the piston 53 is moved inward for the full length of its travel. The free end of said lever in the latter part of its said movement, engages the lower end of lever 68 and rocks the same in the direction indicated by the adjacent arrow, F13. 5, so as to move iston 64 outward and close communication etween the interior or the cylinder and the interior of the receiver, by way of pipe 63 and b'y-pass 62. At the same time the cam portion" 33 imparts o nmg movement to valve 7 by moving r 19 to the left and causing spring 26 to press upon block 18 and the harge of powder on the said valve drops down upon shelf 89. Immediately after this occurs the cam portion 33 reverses the movement of rod 19 and closes said valve 7, this action being instan'tly followed by the production of a spark by the ignition mechanism and the explosion of the char e, and under the pressure developed by t is ekplosion, the speed of rotation of the turbine wheels is maintained. The actions described .oec'ur while uarter revolution, and at the completion 0? the next quarter revolution the lug 40 of cam wheel 30, engages 'antifrictio'n wheel 51 (see Figs. 2 and4) and forces the spring advanced rod 49 inward and thereby causes bell crank 46 to open valve 44 through connectin rod 45.

This results in the scavenging o the re-- ceiver, as the pressure therein opens check valve and escapes through theopp'osite end of piston 53 and arm 42 to the atmosphere. As the shaft completes a half revolution and before valve 44 is permitted to (pressure of spring 52, the pin is engage by cam groove portion 38 of cam 31, thereby causing piston 63 to'fnove outward in excess of half its travel, this movement of the P ston creating a main.

vacuum in the receiver. Immediately after thepartial vacuum is created in t-he receiver, lug 40 passes from engagement with the antifriction roller '51 and spring 52 closes valve 44, the shaft 29, havi ','by this time,

. made about three-fourths o' a revolution.

be readily understood by reference to Fig. I

1, that is to say, if the engine is running too fast the fulcrum lever will be swung inward and hence prevent sleeve 75 moving upward its full distance and thus diminish the quantity of powder that is permitted to pass from the holder through opening 73 1n'to the receiver and u on valve7, the reverse of this statement eing true it the engin'e is running too slowly as will be readily understood, and in this connection it will be seen that the partial vacuum in the receiver, produces a suction whereby the powder is positively drawn from the holder into the receiver, the valves 75 and 71 then closing under the action of the return cam portion of cum groove 35. After said valves are closed and just prior to the completion or the revolution of shaft 29,, the pin 60 is again engaged by the cam portion 39 of wheel 31, and the lever 58 is caused to move piston 53 outward to its initial position and the arm 57 of piston rod 56, operates lever 68 and thereby moves iston 64 inward to reestablish communication between the cylinder and the receiver, all following actions being repetitions of those described.

In the event of a premature e losion occurring when valve 71 is opened t rough the contact of the efplosive charge with highl heated carbon which may have accuinu ated to some extent on valve 7, the valve 74 "opens under the force of the expanelin gas and permits the same to pass upward through tube 74 to the atmosphere, the valve 7, if the same also opens under such force, being immediately reclosed by the pressure of spring 25.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced an internal combustion turbine engine embodying the features of advantage enumerated as deenable, and I wish it to be understood that while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, I

do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction shown and described as a yie dingly-clo'sed valve in said tube, a valvecontrollingeommunication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive to the receiver from the said tube, a cylinder having a discharge passage, a valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to effect the passage of a charge of explosive from the holder 'into the receiver, and yielding means holding the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder in closed position.

An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, 2. tube therein, a yieldingly-clos'ed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive to the receiver from the-said tube, a cylinder having a discharge assage, a valve controlling communication etween the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to eflect the passage of a charge of explosive from the holder into the receiver, and means for opening and closing the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder.

3. An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, a tube therein, a yieldingly-closed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive tothe receiver from the said tube, a cylinder having a discharge passage, a valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to effect the passage of a charge of explosive from the holder into the receiver, means for opening and closing the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, and means to effect the explosion of the charge within the cylinder.

4. An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, a tube therein, a yieldingly-closed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive to the receiver from the said. tube, a cylinder having a discharge passage, a valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves cont-rolling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to effect the passage of a charge of explosive from thenholder into the receiver, means-for opening and closing the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means to effect the explosion of the charge within the cylinder, and connections-whereby pressure developed by the explosion within the cylinder, shall be admitted to the receiver.

5. An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, a tube therein, a yieldingly-closed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive to the receiver from the said tube, a cylinder having a discharge passage, a valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to effect the passage of a charge of explosive from the holder into the receiver, means for opening and closing the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means toefiiect the explosion of the charge within the cylinder, connections whereby pressure developed by the explosion within the cylinder shall be admitted to the receiver, and means for closing such connections.

6. An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, a tube therein,

a yieldingly-closed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver, a valve controlling admission of the explosive to the receiver from the said tube, a cylinder hav-i ing a discharge passage, a valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be 0 ened and closed to elfect the passage of a c arge of explosive from the holder into the receiver, meansfor opening and closing the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder, means'to eflect the explosion of the charge within the cylinder, connections whereby pressure ,develo ed by the explosion within the cylinder 5 all be admitted to the receiver, means for closing such connections, and means for creating a partial vacuum in the receiver.

7.-An internal combustion engine, comprising an explosive holder, a tube therein, a yieldingly closed valve in said tube, a valve controlling communication between the tube and holder, a receiver having a tubular arm, a valve closing said arm, a valve controllin admission of the explosive to the receiver rom the said tube, a cylinder having aldischarge assage, a valve controlling communication etween the receiver and cylinder, means for o ening the valve of said tubular arm, a chec valve adapted to open and permit pressure to pass from said receiver to the atmosphere when the valve of said tubular arm is opened, means to create nosaaoe i a partial vacuum in said arm and the receiver while the last-named valve is opened, means to close said valve while such partial vacuum continues, means whereby the valves controlling communication between the holder and the tube and tube and receiver shall be opened and closed to effect the passage of a charge of the explosive from the holder into the receiver, and yielding means holding the valve controlling communication between the receiver and cylinder in closed position.

8. An internal combustion engine, comprising a receiver for the explosive charges, a valve controllin the entranceway of the receiver for such c iarges, a cylinder having a discharge passage and connected to the discharge end of the receiver and indirectly at a point between the discharge end of the latter and said valve, a valve controlling communication between the same and the cylinder at the discharge end of the receiver, means controlling the said indirect connection, means for opening the valve controlling the discharge end of the receiver, means for causing the valve of the said indirect connection to close said connection, and

means to open up communication between the receiver and the atmosphere after the last-named valve is closed.

9. An internal combustion engine, comprising a receiver for the explosive charges,

a valve controlling the entranceway of the receiver for such charges, a cylinder having a discharge passage and connected to the discharge end of the receiver and indirectly at a point between the discharge end of the latter and said valve, a valve controlling communication between the same and the cylinder at the discharge end of the receiver, means controlling the said indirect connection, means for opening the valve controlling the discharge end of the receiver, means for causing the valve of the said indirect connection to close said connection, means to open up communication between the receiver and the atmosphere after 'the-last-named valve is closed, means to produce suction through the point of communication between the receiver and the atmosphere to create a partial vacuum in the WILLIAM L. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

HELEN C. Romans, G. Y. THORPE. 

